Lesson six - pages 12/13 Jesus cures a man born blind

AIM for the book

To bring to life the story of Jesus by exploring the way we use our senses.

Learning objectives

• To know that Christians believe that Jesus had the power to heal people.
• To be able to retell the story of the blind man.
• To understand the concept of blindness and develop empathy with the blind man.

Background

Christians believe Jesus had the power to heal. This was not simply a physical healing: it was healing the rift between God and an individual. Jesus says to the blind man, 'Your faith has saved you'. The blind person is reconciled to God by seeing the truth of Jesus' teaching and by having faith in him. Jesus' action of healing was like an acted parable or story, a real visual aid. He was teaching the person he healed and those who watched.

Bible reference

Luke 18.35-43

Ways of using the picture

• Explore with the children how we see with our eyes but also how we say 'I see' when we mean 'I understand'.
• Discuss individuals known to the children who are powerful. This could include characters in books or cartoons. How do these people use their power to do good and evil?
• Find out about some of the other times when Jesus healed people.

Key words

• Jesus
• Healing
• Blind

Activity one - the story

• You will need
  The picture from In Words on pages 12-13.
  Art materials to make a 'Big book'.

• Start
  Tell the children the story of Jesus healing the blind man. Then show them the picture in the book.

• Develop
  Make a 'Big Book' of stories about Jesus healing people.

• End
  Ask the children to read these stories aloud. Discuss why they are important for us to remember and what they tell us about Jesus.

Activity two - how did the blind man feel?

• You will need
  Black/white board or flipchart
  Drawing materials.

• Start
  Divide the children into small groups and ask them to act out the story of Jesus healing the blind man.
  You may need to recap the story. Group size and the amount of guidance you give will depend on the age and experiences of the children.
  Ensure that you have plenty of time and space.
  Ideally, when ready, you should all watch each other and give each group praise and encouragement.

• Develop
  After the children have performed their plays ask them to continue pretending to be whoever they were in the story. Go round to each group and interview the children asking them how they feel. Make a record of their answers on a board or flip chart.

• End
  Focus on the feelings of the blind man. How did he feel before he was healed and after? Discuss this carefully.
  The children could then draw pictures of the blind man before and after he met Jesus. Give them the opportunity to put speech and thought bubbles on their pictures.

Activity three - blindfolds and 'feely' bags

• You will need
  A selection of 'feely' bags.
  A selection of spare bags and things to go in them.
  Blindfolds.
  Writing materials

• Start
  Prepare a selection of 'feely' bags and play guessing games with the children. Allow them to make 'feely' bags for each other.

• Develop
  Discuss with them how important the sense of touch is to blind people. If possible show them some Braille to emphasize how blind people use their fingers to read.
  Put the children in pairs and play trust games, such as one child being blindfolded while the other leads them through an obstacle course.

• End
  Go back to the story of the blind man and the picture in the book.
  Ask the children what they think he would be most excited to be able to see? What would they miss if they could not see? Who would they trust to help them if they were blind?
  Develop the questions above further and turn the answers into poetry. The style of poetry would depend on the children's previous experience. It may be more appropriate for them to write in groups or with an adult as the scribe.

Activity checklist

Activity one - the story

The picture from In Words on pages 12-13.
Art materials to make a 'Big book'.

Activity two - how did the blind man feel?

Black/white board or flipchart.
Drawing materials.

Activity three - blindfolds and 'feely' bags

A selection of 'feely' bags.
A selection of spare bags and things to go in them.
Blindfolds.
Writing materials

Web site links

http://search.britannica.com/search?ref=A01001&query=Braille&exact
The Encyclopaedia Britannica provides an informative web page on Braille, and biographical material on Louis Braille, Helen Keller and Valentin Hauy (the French professor of calligraphy known as the 'father and apostle of the blind').

© Lisa Fenton